US Poker Sites that Are Still Around
April 20, 2011
After last week’s abrupt seizure of online poker sites FullTiltPoker.com, PokerStars.com, AbsolutePoker.com, and UB.com, many US poker players are left wondering are there any US poker sites still around? And the answer is yes. You can find US poker sites that are still around here.
While US players can no longer play for real money at the above mentioned online poker sites, they can still play for play money. In fact, the poker sites will be getting their domains back and will be in operating order for play money poker, though the real money players will be using the new domains PokerStars.eu and FullTiltPoker.co.uk.
Now that the buzz has cooled off a little, we are at a point where we can take a step back from the situation and re-evaluate. The fact is that US poker is not going anywhere. It’s here to stay, despite the FBI’s nosing into an industry that is out of their league.
There are still US poker sites around that accept US players, and they are perfectly acceptable in terms of reliability, software, and overall traffic. In fact there has been an influx in US traffic at all of the sites that do still accept US players as a direct result of the no-US player rule at the big four online poker sites that were stopped dead in their tracks last Friday.
The bottom line is that there are still US poker sites around, and they all offer incredibly decent new player bonuses that are easy to clear. The promotions are also comparable to those of PokerStars, Full Tilt, and Absolute Poker.
The Future of Sunday Guaranteed Tournaments
April 19, 2011
Although there are US poker sites with guaranteed tournaments still open to US players, without US players, the weekend big money guaranteed tournaments at PokerStars saw some of the lowest prize pools in years. Without US players, PokerStars knew they couldn’t make their usual guarantees, so in anticipation of the diminished traffic, they lowered them. This made for a very unusual Sunday like online poker has not seen in a long time with no US players in the winner spots.
At PokerStars, the Sunday Warm-Up was the first to show drastic drops. This is a $215 No Limit Hold ‘em event that typically promises a $750K guaranteed pot. However last weekend, it was reduced to $500K. The player field was less about a thousand from the week before (from 4,634 to 3,737). The prize pool the week before was almost $930K. This past Sunday, it was just under $750K, and while 675 players were paid the week before, only 540 players were paid this week. While these numbers aren’t terrible, they do exhibit a non-US player field that may in fact never see US traffic again. However, there are other online poker sites that take US players, and these poker sites have guaranteed Sunday tourneys as well, just not as big, but definitely just as competitive and exciting.
PokerStars’ Sunday Million was about the same, reduced from $1.5 million to $1 million and it saw about 2,000 players less than the previous week. This is the story now and without US traffic, it’s just the way it will be from now on. The other online poker sites that are still accepting US players will have to prepare to pick up the slack on Sundays.
Full Tilt Poker’s Statement to Players
April 19, 2011
While Full Tilt Poker does not accept US players anymore, there are US poker sites that do take new player registration from US players.
Now that FullTiltPoker.com is FullTiltPoker.co.uk, if US players visit that site, a message comes up straight from Dublin, Ireland. It suggests that Full Tilt Poker is saddened by the charges brought up against CEO Raymond Bitar and employee Nelson Burtnick, offering them full support.
They state that online poker is a game of skill that is enjoyed by tens of millions of players in the US and throughout the entire world. They ensure that they remain committed to preserving rights of players to play poker online.
It goes on to say that Mr. Bitar, along with Full Tilt Poker, believe that online poker is legal, as do “the best legal minds in the United States.” It continues, “Full Tilt Poker is, and has always been committed to preserving the integrity of the game and abiding by the law.”
Mr. Bitar states, “I am surprised and disappointed by the government’s decision to bring these charges. I look forward to Mr. Burtnick’s and my exoneration.”
Then the bad news comes in. They say that as a result of all of this, unfortunately, “Full Tilt Poker has decided that it must suspend ‘real money’ play in the United States until this case is resolved.” Hopefully this will be sooner than later. Meanwhile, it’s business as usual in non-US countries. They also give a phone number to call, but could you imagine actually getting through to someone when hundreds of thousands of players are calling at the same time wanting to know how to get their money, what will become of their reward points, etc.
Full Tilt Responds to the Recent Take Down of FullTiltPoker.com
April 19, 2011
As part of last week’s overhaul of Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, Absolute Poker, and UB.com, which completely eradicated them from the US market, the FBI brought down the online poker giants on charges of fraud and money laundering. They also ordered the arrest of 11 founding members and executives of these sites including Full Tilt Poker’s CEO Raymond Bitar and Full Tilt Poker employee Nelson Burtnick. Full Tilt Poker headquarters is based out of Dublin, Ireland, a move they made from LA after the UIGEA was enacted in 2006.
If you are looking for an online poker site that is still taking US players, click here.
In response to their domain being seized, Full Tilt Poker has redirected its traffic to FullTiltPoker.co.uk, available to all non-US players. Full Tilt Poker also made the following statement after it all went down:
“Mr. Bitar and Full Tilt Poker believe online poker is legal, a position also taken by some of the best legal minds in the United States.”
Thirty-nine-year-old also added, “I am surprised and disappointed by the government’s decision to bring these charges. I look forward to Mr. Burtnick’s and my exoneration.”
They went on to ensure that players’ assets were safe:
“In light of recent events involving the freezing of certain accounts, Full Tilt Poker would like to assure all players that their funds remain safe and secure. Processing of both deposit and withdrawal requests is proceeding as normal and is still available to all of our players.”
They also mentioned in regards to , “Full Tilt Poker remains committed to the protection of our players’ security and legal rights, and will continue to provide the best and safest online poker room available worldwide.”
Over the past four to five years, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars shared 70% of the US online poker market and earned around $1 billion from online poker each year, so they should both have plenty of money to pay the US government’s damages estimated at a mere $3 billion.
Are Poker Sites Still Accepting US Players?
April 19, 2011
Despite the recent FBI seizure of the FullTiltPoker.com, PokerStars.com, AbsolutePoker.com, and UB.com online poker domain names, there are poker sites still accepting US players. In fact, you can find a comprehensive list of US Poker Sites here. It is still safe to deposit money at the online poker sites recommended on USPokerSites.com, and frankly, the offer great deposit bonuses, promotions, software, and overall decent competition, especially with the increased traffic at all online poker sites still accepting US players.
Sites like Carbon Poker, which usually only see 4,000 online players at a time, if they are lucky, are seeing up in the 10,000 player range at peak times, so there is clearly no want for US online poker sites. And while you can’t play at Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, PokerStars, or UB.com anymore if you are a real money US player, there are still plenty of poker sites still accepting US players.
After the domains were seized last Friday, near panic set into the online poker community, particularly by US players who didn’t know what had happened to their online poker accounts and were just in shock by the FBI warning that graced the front page of Absolute.com. And it only got worse when they logged into their Full Tilt or PokerStars software only to realize they were merely play money players with no real money wagering privileges. This is unfortunately still the state of affairs at these online poker sites currently, but it is not the end of online poker in the US.
Open a new account at a new US online poker site and deposit and play. It’s legal, it’s safe, and it’s ok to play US poker at poker sites still accepting US players.
PokerStars Responds to No USA Play
April 18, 2011
Now that PokerStars has had to reject their USA players and has lost about 35% of their player base, they’ve re-routed their traffic through pokerstars.eu since the FBI took over the pokerstars.com domain.
Click here to find online poker sites that still accept USA players.
PokerStars issued a statement that reads, “As you may have heard, we have had to suspend real money poker services to people based in the U.S. due to legal developments there. The developments are confined to the U.S. and do not have any impact on your ability to continue using our services. Please be assured player balances are safe. There is no cause for concern. For all customers outside the U.S. it is business as usual.”
But this doesn’t really address the USA players who have their cash tied up in their online account at PokerStars. Presently, PokerStars players have reported trouble withdrawing cash from their player accounts. In fact, Tom “durrrr” Dwan tweeted in defense of the poker sites: “I’d guess ftp/stars is worth more than 93c on the $ (almost 100% u get paid but could take 2-3 mnths n worst case more).”
So far, the FBI has put a freeze on 76 total accounts if you combine the three sites. Furthermore, they are demanding $3 billion in penalties and fines.
PokerStars’ statement reassures players who have not been able to cash out: “Please be aware that we are currently experiencing a very high volume of emails, so our response times are delayed. We will answer player emails as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.”
So for the time being, USA poker players should find a new online poker site to play at and hope that Dwan is right in saying that all player funds will be refunded.
Where Can American Players Play Poker Online
April 18, 2011
American poker players are still able to play poker online. Visit USPokerSites.com to find out where you can play if you are a US player. If you are an online poker player residing in the US and a former member of Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, UB.com, or PokerStars and are no longer welcome as a real money player at your site, you still have options. There are still online poker rooms accepting US players and there are still online poker rooms that still take USA deposits.
All you have to do is open a new player account, which will entitle you to a new player poker bonus, make a deposit, and start playing online poker in the US again. Unfortunately, all of your VIP points and Frequent Player Points at other online poker rooms are valueless. However, you can establish an account at another online poker room that does take bets from USA players today and begin earning points again.
As long as you have a credit card or bank account, there are still online poker rooms allowing USA players to register. These poker sites are taking players from the USA right now and letting them play for real money. If you are left wondering what to do if you are a USA poker player, don’t worry. Go to USPokerSites.com and find yourself a new online poker room. There you will find a very nice variety of trusted and legal USA poker sites, all of which offer great poker bonuses, promotions, rewards, guaranteed tournaments, and games.
Furthermore, the competition is great everywhere! With so many USA players looking for a new online poker room to play at, you can imagine all the soft competition. The traffic at these USA friendly sites is tripling by the day practically, and many of these players are fish!
Cake Poker Signup Code April 2011
April 18, 2011
Cake Poker Bonus
Spring is a great time to sign up with Cake Poker where you’ll get a first deposit bonus of 110% of your deposit up to $600. Just open an account and make your first real money deposit under the Cake Poker Signup Code PBSPOKER. By using this code when you register, you’ll ensure that you’ll receive the full bonus offered.
Then, just play real money poker at Cake cash games and tournaments to earn Frequent Player Points in order to clear the bonus. Frequent Player Points, or FPPs, can be earned when you pay rake or tourney fees. For each dollar you pay in rake at a cash game, you’ll earn 1 FPP. For every dollar you pay in tourney fees, you’ll get 7 FPPs. As you earn points, you will clear your bonus. You will receive $5 payments of your bonus as you earn the qualifying points. You’ll have 90 days from the date of your first deposit to earn your bonus in full. FPPs can also be used to make purchases in the Cake Poker store. You can redeem them for merchandise, tournament buy-ins, and freerolls.
You can always check the status of your bonus in the “Pending Bonus” section of the Cashier.
Cake Poker New Depositor’s Freeroll
As a new-to-Cake player, you’ll receive entry to the Cake Poker New Depositor’s Freeroll. This tournament features a $500 prize pool and is open to new depositors only. As a new player, you can learn the ropes of the Cake Poker software by participating in this tourney and have a chance to play with some other newbies.
April 2011 PartyPoker Bonus Code
April 18, 2011
PartyPoker Bonus
PartyPoker is the place to be this month because they are already hooking players up with 2011 WSOP prize packages, not to mention the 100% poker bonus for new depositors worth up to $/£/€100. There’s even WSOP qualifiers that are strictly for new depositors, which gives you an even bigger edge if you are looking for a way in to the WSOP this summer.
To claim your PartyPoker bonus, create an account and make a deposit. When asked, use PartyPoker Bonus Code 500PS to ensure you get the bonus offered here. To clear your bonus, you’ll need PartyPoints, which you earn when you play real money tournaments and cash games. For every dollar you pay in rake or tourney fees, you’ll collect points, and as you collect more points, more of your bonus will be deposited into your player account. You’ll have 60 days before this bonus expires.
If you are a new poker player, you might want to start at the Beginner Tables. They offer soft competition from other new players and give you a chance to break in the software.
Card Rush
Throughout the month of April (through midnight on April 30th), PartyPoker is giving out prize cards for every 15 points you earn, though your first one is awarded at 5 points to draw you in. Once you win that first card, you will definitely want another and so on and so on. There are only 1.8 million cards being given out this month, so don’t wait. Right now there are plenty left, but there won’t be for long. Each card offers prizes ranging from freeroll tourney points, more points towards your next card, cash, and other valuable items. You can get up to 50 cards every day.
2011 WSOP
As mentioned above, PartyPoker is already handing out 2011 WSOP packages that are worth $14K. This includes the $10K buy-in for the Main Event, as well as $2K for spending money, and 8-night accommodations at a Vegas Strip hotel. There are a lot of ways to qualify for one of these packages, so get started—you have through June 19th to nab one!
Absolute Poker Referral Code April 2011
April 18, 2011
Poker Bonus
If you have never created an account at Absolute Poker (on the CEREUS Network), now is the time to cash in on their massive 150% poker bonus worth up to $550. Most online poker clubs only refund 100% of your bonus, but Absolute Poker goes above and beyond. To get this bonus, you must use Absolute Poker Referral Code PSITEORG when you register and create your account and make a deposit for the first time. Once you’ve claimed the bonus using the bonus code above, you’ll then need to clear the bonus. You will do this very quickly by playing real money cash games and poker tournaments online at Absolute Poker. This will earn you the Status Points needed to clear the bonus. One dollar will clear for every 20 points you earn, and $5 will be released into your player account for every 100 Status Points you rack up.
Note that Absolute Poker no longer accepts USA players. Please click here to find online poker sites that accept USA players.
Toe to Toe with Absolute Pros
If you like poker sites that have a lot of pros playing at the tables right alongside everyday players, then Absolute Poker is a great poker room for you. You can play with Trishelle Cannatella, Maria Ho, Adam Levy, and more. And when you knock any of these pros out, you get paid!
2011 WSOP
Absolute Poker is giving out packages to the 2011 WSOP. If you win your seat from Absolute Poker and show up, you’ll get another $1,000. The longer you last in the Main Event, the more bonus money you’ll get. Check out the Weekly Super Satellites. Feeders into these events run every day and feature buy-ins as low as $11. The 2011 WSOP Absolute Poker prize package features the $10K buy-in plus $2K for travel and spending. Don’t wait any longer—win your seat to the 2011 WSOP Main Event now!